May 28, 2026
With 18 awards, including five first-place finishes, 91福利鈥檚 Marketing and Recruitment Department聽continued to raise the bar with a standout performance at聽the 2026聽College Public Relations Association of Mississippi () Conference聽in聽Senatobia.聽
鈥淚t is an incredible honor to celebrate the achievements of our Marketing & Recruitment team,鈥� said Dr. Kari Eve Valence, Director of Marketing and Communication. 鈥淓arning 18 CPRAM awards is a direct reflection of the creativity, passion, and dedication our team brings to telling the story of 91福利 each and every day. Every project represents a collaborative effort to showcase the spirit of PRCC and the people who make this institution so special.鈥�
鈥淭hese recognitions not only highlight the innovative work being produced by our department, but also reinforce The River鈥檚 position as one of the leading community college marketing teams in the state of Mississippi. I am extremely proud of a team that continues to lead with excellence while embodying the values that define Pearl River: Pride, Respect, Class, and Character.鈥�
Top Row Left to Right:聽 Alexx Kennedy, Ariona Anderson, Dylan Dunaway, Dr. Kari Eve Valence, and Dr. Candace Harper
Second Row Left to Right:聽 Karisa聽Watkins, Chuck Abadie,聽 Grant McCleod, River Roderick, and Corey Guerra
Third Row Left to Right: Kaylee Fortenberry, Laura O’Neill, Sophie Williams, Kalyn Pullins, and Trael Hinton
Bottom Row Left to Right: Patrick Peerboom, Juliana Moore, Richard Gleber, and Cullin Rogers.
Four team members attended the event, which included educational sessions and networking opportunities with marketers from Mississippi鈥檚 community colleges and universities. Sessions emphasized storytelling, a cornerstone of effective higher education marketing.
Keynote presentations included 鈥淭he Personality Principle: Why Personality Beats Branding鈥� by Stafford Shurden, 鈥淭he Story We Tell in Times of Uncertainty: Thriving without Burning Out鈥� by Erin Mark, 鈥淏uilding a Strategic Communications Framework that Advances Student Success鈥� by Alice Maxwell, 鈥淕rab the Rope: Learning to Use Creativity to Reframe Challenges into Opportunities鈥� by Marshall Ramsey, and 鈥淎 Newsman鈥檚 Challenge: Seek the Truth and Tell it鈥� by Otis Sanford.
All awards received by PRCC are for the Junior Division, comprised of Mississippi鈥檚 15 community colleges. Entries were completed and published during 2025.
Individuals who were part of Pearl River鈥檚 marketing efforts for the 2025 calendar year include Chuck Abadie, Ariona Anderson, Lauren Curtis, Dylan Dunaway, Kaylee Fortenberry, Richard Gleber, Corey Guerra, Dr. Candace Harper, Trael Hinton, Alexx Kennedy, Grant McCleod, Julianna Moore, Laura O鈥橬eill, Patrick Peerboom, Kalyn Pullens, River Roderick, Cullin Rogers, Dr. Kari Eve Valence, Karisa Watkins and Sophie Williams.
O鈥橬eill will be serving as Scholarship Chair for CPRAM for 2026-2027.
FIRST PLACE AWARDS
Digital Advertisements 鈥� Junior Division: 鈥淪pring Enrollment Ad鈥� 鈥� Ariona Anderson
General Video 鈥� Junior Division: 鈥淪outhern Nights Football TikTok鈥� 鈥� Ariona Anderson
Radio Programs 鈥� Junior Division: 鈥淲ildcat Radio Show: A Willdcat Through and Through: Coach Avalon Talks Legacy鈥� 鈥� Chuck Abadie and Michael Avalon
Sports News Story 鈥� Junior Division: 鈥淒own But Not Out: Pearl River Storms Back to Reach Region 23 Championship鈥� 鈥� Dylan Dunaway
Sports Photography 鈥� Junior Division: 鈥淓than Garner Biloxi Shuckers Landscape鈥� 鈥� River Roderick
SECOND PLACE AWARDS
PR/Marketing & Branding Campaign 鈥� Junior Division: 鈥淢oments into Memories鈥� 鈥� Ariona Anderson, Kaylee Fortenberry, Alexx Kennedy, Laura O鈥橬eill, Patrick Peerboom, and Dr. Kari Eve Valence.
Radio Programs 鈥� Junior Division: 鈥淲ildcat Radio Show: Holiday Magic at the River: Wildcat Wonderland and More鈥� 鈥� Alexx Kennedy and Dr. Kari Eve Valence
Sports Feature Story 鈥� Junior Division: 鈥淔irst-Ever PRCC Mascot to Earn a Spirit of a Wildcat Award鈥� 鈥� Dylan Dunaway
Sports Media Sports Post 鈥� Junior Division: 鈥淐atch the Cup Challenge: Pearl River Volleyball鈥� 鈥� Dylan Dunaway and Karisa Watkins
Wildcard Mixed Media 鈥� Junior Division: 鈥淢arion County CTE Ticket鈥� 鈥� Kalyn Pullens
THIRD PLACE AWARDS
Digital Advertisements 鈥� Junior Division: 鈥淩espiratory Care Program Ad鈥� 鈥� Ariona Anderson
Environmental Designs / Exhibitions 鈥� Junior Division: 鈥淢oments into Memories鈥� 鈥� Ariona Anderson
Newsletter 鈥� Junior Division: 鈥淲ildcat Dispatch鈥� 鈥� Laura O’Neill
Radio Spots 鈥� Junior Division: 鈥淢y Story Starts Here 2025 Radio Ad鈥� 鈥� Dr. Kari Eve Valence
Single Piece of Artwork Sports 鈥� Junior Division: 鈥淛acob Keys Gold Glove鈥� 鈥� Dylan Dunaway
Sports Feature Story 鈥� Junior Division: 鈥淔rom the Field to the Front Row: Former Wildcat Covers PRCC鈥檚 World Series Run鈥� 鈥� Dylan Dunaway
Sports Media Sports Account 鈥� Junior Division: 鈥淧RCC Athletics X/Twitter鈥� 鈥� Dylan Dunaway, Richard Gleber and Grant McCleod
Viewbooks/Admissions and Recruitment Piece 鈥� Junior Division: 鈥�2025 Student Resource Guide鈥� 鈥� Ariona Anderson and Corey Guerra
ABOUT CPRAM
CPRAM is a consortium of public relations professionals employed at Mississippi鈥檚 public and private colleges and universities, as well as affiliated education agencies. The annual CPRAM conference includes educational sessions, roundtable discussions, and the CPRAM Awards ceremony.
The next conference will be in 2027.
For the latest news on 91福利, visit PRCC.edu and follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter (), Instagram (), Facebook (),and TikTok ().
Article by Laura O’Neill.
